Rotate Tool

Use the Rotate Tool to rotate, stretch, distort, or copy entities along a rounded path. Activate the Rotate Tool from either the Modification Toolbar or the Tools menu.

Keyboard Shortcut: Q

Rotating Geometry

You can rotate geometry in three different planes in a 3D environment. To rotate geometry using the Rotate Tool:

1. Select the Rotate Tool. The cursor will change to a protractor with a circular arrow.
2. Click on the entity to rotate.
3. Move the cursor in a circle until it is at the starting point of the rotation.

4. Click to set the starting point of the rotation. Use the inference tooltips help you to find the center of the rotation.
5. Move the cursor until it as at the ending point of the rotation. If the Enable angle snapping checkbox is checked in the Units Panel of the Model Info dialog box, movements close to the protractor result in angle snaps, while those further away from the protractor allow free rotation.

Note - Press the Esc key at any point during the operation to start over.

6. Click to complete the rotation.

Rotational Stretching with Auto-Fold

The Rotate Tool can also be used to stretch geometry by selecting and rotating a portion of the geometry. Any rotational movement that would cause a face to twist in on itself or otherwise become non-planar will activate SketchUp's Auto-Fold feature.

Making Copies

The Rotate Tool can be used to make rotated copies of entities within your model. To make copies of an entity using the Rotate Tool:

1. Select the Rotate Tool. The cursor will change to a protractor with a circular arrow.
2. Click on the entity to rotate.
3. Press and release the Ctrl key on your keyboard. The cursor will change to a protractor with a plus sign. This action informs Sketchup that you want to duplicate the entity.
4. Move the cursor in a circle until it is at the starting point of the rotation.
5. Click to set the starting point of the rotation. Use the inference tooltips help you to find the center of the rotation.
6. Move the cursor until it as at the ending point of the rotation. A copy of the entity appears and is rotated about the starting point. If the Enable angle snapping checkbox is checked in the Units Panel of the Model Info dialog box, movements close to the protractor result in angle snaps, while those further away from the protractor allow free rotation.
7. Click to complete the rotation.

Note - You can press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard at any time during a move operation to perform a copy (not just at the start).

Creating Multiple Copies (Radial Arrays)

The Rotate Tool can also be used to create radial arrays, or a series of copies around a rotate point. To create a radial array.

1. Select the Rotate Tool. The cursor will change to a protractor with a circular arrow.
2. Click on the entity to rotate.
3. Press and release the Ctrl key on your keyboard. The cursor will change to a protractor with a plus sign. This action informs Sketchup that you want to duplicate the entity.
4. Move the cursor in a circle until it is at the starting point of the rotation.
5. Click to set the starting point of the rotation. Use the inference tooltips help you to find the center of the rotation.
6. Move the cursor until it as at the ending point of the rotation. A copy of the entity appears and is rotated about the starting point. If the Enable angle snapping checkbox is checked in the Units Panel of the Model Info dialog box, movements close to the protractor result in angle snaps, while those further away from the protractor allow free rotation.
7. Click to complete the rotation.
8. Type a multiplier value to create additional multiple copies. For example, typing in 2x (or *2) will create one additional copy (or 2 copies total, the one you manually copied plus one you automatically copied using this step) instead of just one.

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Note - You can press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard at any time during a rotate operation to perform a copy (not just at the start).

Creating Copies at an Equal Distance Apart

You can divide the distance between the copy and the original by typing in a divisor value in the VCB. For example, typing 5/ (or /5) will create five copies evenly distributed between the original and the first copy. You can enter distances and multipliers until you perform another operation.

Folding Along an Axis of Rotation

You can fold geometry by setting the protractor along an edge that will act like a fold line and then folding geometry at that line. To fold geometry along an axis of rotation:

1. Select the Select Tool. The cursor will change to an arrow.
2. Select the geometry to rotate. The bottom of the triangle will act as a fold line.

3. Select the Rotate Tool. The cursor will change to a protractor with a circular arrow.
4. Click and hold on one end of the fold line or edge where the fold will appear in your geometry.
5. Drag the cursor along the fold line to align the protractor to the fold line (the bottom of the triangle).

6. Release the mouse button to set the rotation point or the point upon which the geometry will rotate.
7. Click the mouse again to set the starting point of the rotation.

8. Move the mouse to rotate. If angle snaps are active under preferences, you'll notice that as you move the mouse, movements close to the protractor will result in angle snaps, while those further away from the protractor will allow free rotation.

9. Click a third time at the ending point of the rotation (to complete the rotation).

Specifying Precise Angular Values

The degree of rotation you have indicated appears in angular degrees in the VCB while rotating. You can also manually enter in angular rotation or slope values directly into the VCB while rotating geometry.

Entering an Angular Rotation Value

To specify an exact angle in degrees, type a decimal value into the VCB while rotating the cursor around the protractor. For example, typing in 34.1 will give you an exact 34.1 degree angle. Negative values will move angle in a counter-clockwise direction. You can specify an exact angular value either during or immediately after your rotation operation.

Entering a Slope Value

To specify a new angle as a slope, type in the two values separated by a colon in the VCB, such as 8:12. Negative values will move angle in a counter-clockwise direction. You can specify an exact angular value either during or immediately after your rotation operation.

Locking the Rotate Tool to its Current Orientation

Press and hold the Shift key, before you click on an entity, to lock the operation to that orientation.